Chapter 14.

"I'm saved !", thought Rose while trying to focus on feeling the Flow, and failing at it because of said thoughts. She had a hard time believing the recent chain of event. First, the fighters all of a sudden decided that the people they considered the least useful would be left to starve if they did not help in a good enough way. Then Alex came to her with a proposal that made her understand how Arsenio's decision would make his underlings all-powerful : the man offered her food and protection every day for her favours. Or, as he put it, the 'sweet rewards that he deserved'. Because, of course, he did.

That offer made the girl tremble more than anything before, and her mind had just closed shut for the whole conversation afterwards. She knew this offer would be repeated, and she knew, considering the situation, she would probably be the first to starve. Whether she accepted then or later, the result would be the same. She was cornered, as Alex had wanted.

Yet, like a goddess of justice, Enora came to her with a real offer. To exchange food for Rose's knowledge and the results of her experiments with the Magical Flow. To the woman warrior, getting the information was worth feeding the girl, as she would effectively double her speed of understanding. It would also help her as she spent quite a bit of time every day doing her duty, so she could not do as much as Rose on that regard. This was the perfect situation for the blonde.

Obviously, Alex was not pleased with this development. He had waited for such occasion to happen for some time and saw his victory slip away from him just as he was about to grasp it. At many occasions he stared daggers at Rose, hating her for refusing him over and over. Why ? Was he so repulsive that she would rather share her nights with the she-man ? "Demanding bitch.". Of course, he did not do anything against Enora, that would have been a grave mistake : the woman was a good fighter and, even though their leader had been disappointed with her once, she was still highly regarded.

So time passed, slowly, and days tainted by famished complaints began. Some of the flock tried to force the fighters into giving them food out of compassion, but nothing happened, making them realise the seriousness of their predicament. To no one's surprise, the number of weaklings who offered themselves as a bargain to avoid starvation was high. It does not mean these offers were all accepted though, forcing some to take arms and fight alongside the more or less experienced warriors. A choice which resulted in five deaths during the first encounter that followed.

Rose did not take part in it and did not see it either, but she insisted for Enora to describe everything. She would not be kept in the dark.

- The encounter began pretty well, with the real combatants taking the lead and the brunt of the Grey Devil's assault., began Enora. We quickly relied on the help of the recruits though. And it was bloody.

She continued, saying that for such a small fight, only ten enemies against their twenty men, and yet five recruits died in screams and gore. Limbs flung about, crimson stained the walls, the ground and the clothes, and flesh spread randomly. It was mayhem that even Enora felt ill about.

- Many deaths for nothing, yet at least there will be less people to feed now …

She reassured the girl about not really believing that this massacre was worth its result, but could she really complain ? Yes, of course, but she would not. As horrible as the situation might have been, it did not seem hopeless.

Still, the group's numbers began to dwindle. From the fifty people that left Kassander's company, only thirty-five remained of which twenty-five were fighters. Yet the challenges continued, every fight eroding everyone's morale and adding burden to the ten helper's shoulders. Because they knew what happened to the ones who decided to fight, none of them wanted to meet that fate, choosing shameful alternatives. The fighters, on the other hand, felt the responsibility of other's survival getting heavier and heavier, and with it, their demands got out of control little by little. Any fighter could ask pretty much anything from the helpers as long as they provided the coveted food.

Some protested and were quickly beaten into submission, forced to beg in any manner for their sustenance. This situation disgusted Enora. And as much as she tried to protect Rose, the requests began to get heated, notably from Alex who even incited others into his extreme demands. One had to fight back at some point right ? So she did.

One evening, something like a week after they had left the fountain, Alex came back with his threatening behaviour and vicious gaze. Two other fighters followed him, a man and a woman. Not many fighters were women, barely six, but they had comparable influence to their male counterparts due to strength or their own favours. They stopped a few meters from Enora and Rose, keeping silent at first, showing that they came for the same reason as the past three times.

The tall protector stood still, staring at Alex with defiant eyes. She had not taken off her armour that time, not regretting her decision for a second. Behind her, Rose trembled, slowly realising that maybe she was responsible for her friend's plight, and she would be partially right. Would accepting the forceful offer have avoided putting Enora in danger ? Yes, obviously. Was it a smart move ? To give in and accept such behaviours without protesting ? "A thousand times no.", thought the girl. Accepting once meant always accepting. Stupid.

However, it did not change the fact that she owed her protector now. That's what it boiled down to : who did she want to owe ? She had made her choice and stood by it in a trembling way, with weak limbs and purple eyelids. They had spent the past week sleeping in turns, never unpacking their stuff in case the need to leave in a hurry appeared. And it did, evidently.

- Get out of the way Enora., calmly asked Alex.

He was clearly quite confident, backed by two people proven to be stronger than him. His claim was legitimate in his head, as he had done a lot for no reward as of yet. A pay was in order.

- Fuck off.

Same tone. With a straight back and a piercing stare, Enora kept standing still. But her personality was quite well known, and Alex did not believe for a second that he was in any danger. At least that's what he told himself, influenced by a repressed desire, clearly not thinking with his head. Consequently, he just walked past the woman warrior without even looking, obsessed by the small blond girl with snow-white skin. Even her tired eyes failed to hide her cuteness. This move was a fatal mistake though. As he walked by, Enora swiftly unsheathed the dagger she had hidden around her lower back and plunged it into the man's side.